#BetterTogether - Qld Renewable Energy Code
Better Community Outcomes through Renewable Energy
In February 2024, the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s (AEIC) Community Engagement Review was publicly released. In the Have Your Say survey, the AEIC asked landholders and community members about their experience of engagement on renewable projects.
92% of respondents were dissatisfied with the extent to which project developers engaged with the local community.
85% of respondents were dissatisfied with the explanations provided by project developers in response to their questions.
89% of respondents stated that the information they received from project developers was not relevant to the concerns they raised.
85% of respondents stated that their concerns were not addressed in a timely manner.
To address the community engagement concerns, the Review made a series of recommendations to improve engagement intended to motivate developers to consistently deliver acceptable community engagement in the performance of their role.
In April 2024, the Queensland Government announced its support for the development of a Renewable Energy Code for renewable energy projects to set standards for social licence and engagement with landholders and communities.
The Queensland Government partnered with the Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) and the Energy Charter to work with agricultural, local government, conservation, First Nations and other community stakeholders as a core input to inform the initial design of the Renewable Energy Code.
What’s the Qld Renewable Energy Code initiative?
This #BetterTogether Qld Renewable Energy Code initiative aims to improve outcomes for communities and landholders in areas impacted by renewable energy development through commitments to better engagement, collaboration and benefit sharing by building trust and social licence.
The Qld Renewable Energy Code is being co-designed with senior leaders from across the Community Outcomes Group and Industry Collaborators, independently facilitated by a human-centered design expert.
The initiative kicked-off in late March 2024 at the Energy Charter Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable at the Strategic Community Engagement Workshop which included:
- Key recommendations of the Review with a focus on Recommendation 1: Renewable Developer Rating Scheme
- Sharing views from the ag sector on community sentiment
- Lessons from Coal Seam Gas in Queensland: what works and what doesn’t? (special guest, Warwick Squire, CEO Coexistence Queensland, formerly the Gas Fields Commission Queensland)
- Leveraging industry-led accountability models
- Exploring options to deliver better community outcomes
Co-design workshops supported by the Energy Charter and QREC in Brisbane during May-October 2024 covered:
- Connecting, and why are we here – understanding community and landholder concerns?
- What’s possible, leveraging a principles-based approach
- Building the commitments to communities
- Governance structure for accountability process
- The “trust equation” – why trust is critical in the energy transition
- Better practice approaches
Collaborators
Customer Outcomes Group
Representatives from Queensland Farmers Federation (QFF), AgForce, Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), Queensland Conservation Council (QCC), First Nations Clean Energy Network, Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS), small business association and Re-Alliance.
Industry Collaborators
Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) and representatives of renewable developers include Acciona, Cubico Investments, Energy Estate, Lightsource BP, Powerlink Queensland, Qld Hydro, RES Australia, Stanwell Corporation and Windlab.
Want to learn more about this #BetterTogether initiative?
If you would like to learn more about the Qld Renewable Energy Code initiative or how you can get involved, please reach out to Sabiene Heindl, CEO Energy Charter.